Safe and Sound
by MusicKeeper
Summary: The war is over, but the Republic is in turmoil. Anakin has been seduced by the dark side, Kira and Obi-Wan have been forced into exile, and Cadena is fading fast. As Kira's world crashes down around her, she must learn to give up everything she ever knew to keep herself and her friends safe. [Fifth in the Eyes Open Saga.]
1. The War Outside Our Door

**It has begun!**

 **'ello, peoples of the earth, and welcome to what I believe will be my favorite story in the series so far. I must say, I have been looking forward to writing this for a long time. Ehehehehehe.**

 **So now, I present to you Safe and Sound! Hope y'all enjoy! :)**

* * *

Lights from the clone troopers' helmets flashed on the walls and lit the way down the dim tunnels. "I don't like this place," one trooper admitted to another. "It gives me the willies."

"Quiet down, Trapper," the trooper's commander ordered firmly. "We'll be out of here soon enough."

At least that was the commander's hope.

The mission had sounded simple. On Ganthel, a slave ring had taken root and begun to flourish. The local authorities had not been able to track the slavers and had called on the Jedi to help. Kira Narro, a Jedi Padawan, had been sent with a few clone units to find and arrest the slavers, a task which she was determined to complete. There was no room for failure in her mind.

Before Kira had left, there had been a small dispute whether or not to send someone else. Kira was only fourteen, and her Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, was away on Utapau. However, the dispute had been resolved, and Kira and her troops had left four days before en route to Ganthel.

Cadena, a friend and fellow Padawan, had come to see her off. To Kira, the other girl had seemed rather tired, which made sense because Cadena had recently given birth to a son. Kira was actually surprised to see Cadena up and about so quickly. "What are you doing up?" she'd asked. "I was sure you'd be at Jim's apartment with the baby."

"You sound like Anakin," Cadena had said, grinning. "Can't a girl want to say goodbye to her friend?"

Kira had smiled. "I was planning to visit you and the baby when I got back. Speaking of which, have you picked a name yet?"

"Not yet."

"Well, hurry up and pick something. I'm tired of calling him 'the baby'."

Cadena had laughed, then her face had sobered. "I feel like something's about to happen."

"A good or bad something?" Kira had seated herself on a nearby crate.

Cadena had sat beside the younger girl. "I don't know. I've been having dreams lately. Anakin's in them, and Master Kenobi, and Jim. There's this odd breathing I keep hearing."

Kira had raised an eye marking. "Have you told Master Skywalker?"

"No. He's been preoccupied lately."

Kira had nodded. Anakin had just been appointed to the Jedi Council and, according to Cadena, had been having trouble settling into his new responsibilities. "Maybe you should tell him."

"I guess." Cadena hadn't looked convinced.

That was when one of Kira's troopers had come to report to her that the transports were ready, and the two girls had said their goodbyes. Since then, Kira, too, had felt as if something was about to happen. What it could be, she didn't know, but she didn't like the warning tone that the Force sent her. It felt ominous.

"Remember, troops," Kira said now, "keep your blasters on stun. I don't want the slaves to get caught in the crossfire, but I'd rather have them unconscious than dead. Understood?"

A chorus of "yes, Commander" and "yes, ma'am" met Kira's ears, and she continued forward. She felt that they were getting closer to the slavers - and the slaves. Waves of despair and hopelessness tumbled over each other in the Force. Those feelings were almost too much for Kira, who had to stop and get her bearings before advancing.

Voices echoed down the tunnel from a small room at the end, and Kira's spirits rose. After days of little sleep and clues that led to dead ends, they had found the slavers' hideaway at last. Kira gave the signal to halt, hoping she could hear what the slavers were saying to each other.

"I still think we should take our cargo and leave. The Senate's got a Jedi sniffin' around. I don't like it," one slaver said.

"How do you know it's a Jedi?" another replied.

"Cause she had a laser sword. And she had them clones with her."

"Well, even if that Jedi does find out where we are, she'll never find the slaves. And that's probably who she's after anyway. You know them Jedi, all about compassion and all that." A gruff laugh followed this statement.

The other slaver sounded unsure. "You've heard the tales about Jedi interrogation, same as I have. They say the Jedi can get into your head."

"Yeah, if you've got a weak mind. And my mind ain't weak."

Kira glanced at Trapper, nodded, and gave the signal to charge. She drew her lightsaber as she ran into the room, and the two men inside shouted in surprise as she activated the blade. The clones raced into the room after her, blasters raised and ready to fire.

One of the slavers immediately put his hands up. "I told ya we should've left while we had the chance!"

The other slaver spit at the ground. "She's nothin' but a child! We can take her!" Growling, he lunged for Kira.

The surprise move startled Kira into dropping her lightsaber, but her training kicked in and she delivered a swift kick to the slaver's gut. He gasped for breath as he reached for her foot; his attempt failed, and Kira jumped back to retrieve her lightsaber. The blue blade was once again aimed at the slaver's throat before he could attack her again. "I'm not impressed," she said.

The slaver slowly put his hands on his head. Kira gestured for two of the clones to restrain him, which they hurried to do before he attempted to escape.

Next, Kira directed her attention to the other slaver. "Where are they?"

He didn't have to ask who Kira meant. "There's a door in this here floor that leads to the holdin' cells where we keep 'em. Please, I've told you everythin'! Just don't get inside my head!" he begged.

Kira would've found the slaver's reaction comical had she not been in a hurry to free the slaves. "Thank you for your cooperation," she said sweetly. She turned to the troopers holding the two slavers. "Take these two back to the speeders and deliver them to the detainment facilities. Come back as fast as you can with the transports. There'll be some standing by."

"Yes, ma'am!" the troopers replied. They tugged on the prisoners' handcuffs, probably a little rougher than was necessary, and led them back the way the troopers had come.

"I think I found the door he was talking about, Commander!" a trooper called from the other side of the room. There, a rumpled rug that had obviously been tossed aside in a hurry lay beside a metal trapdoor.

Kira hurried to the trooper's side and inspected his findings. "Good work, Wooley," she said, kneeling next to the clone.

"There's a lock here, but I think I can hack into it," Wooley continued, examining the aforementioned lock. "It's a standard Coruscanti-"

"Or I can just do this," Kira said. She activated her lightsaber, swiftly cut a square hole in the trapdoor, and used the Force to lift the newly cut piece from the door.

Wooley shrugged. "That works, too."

Kira called to the other clones. "Leave no cell unchecked," she ordered. "We'll go over the area two or three times if we have to, but I want no slave left behind. Is that understood?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Good. Now let's get down there."

It took a few minutes for all the men to climb down the ladder that had been installed below the trapdoor, and Kira was last to arrive. "Spread out," she said. "We'll be more efficient that way."

With that, the search was on. Every cell was checked and double checked for anyone who may have been forced into slavery. A pang shot through Kira's heart every time she opened a cell door to find a small group of children, whose clothes were filthy and eyes were void of hope. "Come on," she would coax. "That's right. I'm not going to hurt you," she would say as the children came closer. "I'm here to help."

In the last cell, a girl no older than four or five tugged at Kira's sleeve on her way out. The girl's grimy face was streaked with tears when Kira knelt to meet her eye level. "Where's my sister?" the girl pleaded. "I want to see her."

Kira carefully gathered the girl into her arms and picked her up. "We're going to find her," she promised quietly as she stood and headed to join the others. "We'll find your sister. You'll get to see her soon."

* * *

As it turned out, the girl's sister was not another slave. Many of the victims on Ganthel had been snatched from the streets, or even from their own homes. Esme Sloane, the girl who'd asked for her sister, was one of the slaves who'd been taken from the street.

"Is this the last of them?" Trapper asked as he and Kira approached yet another small but sturdy house, common to an industrial world such as Ganthel. He looked down at his datapad to be certain they were in the right place.

Kira glanced down at Esme to make sure she hadn't wandered off. "Yes, this is our last stop."

Trapper nodded. "All right." He detached his helmet and held it securely under his arm. "To be honest, Commander, I'll be glad when we're finished here."

"As will I, Trapper. As will I." Kira knocked firmly on the door three times.

A moment passed before the door opened. A tall, dark woman stood inside, and Kira thought for a moment that it was Esme's mother who had come to greet them until Esme threw herself at the woman, crying, "Rae! Rae!"

"Esme!" Rae knelt to accept Esme's hug, returning it with an embrace of her own. "Oh, Esme, are you all right?"

Esme didn't answer. Instead, she kept her arms tightly around Rae's neck. Rae eventually had to pry the little girl off of her. "Go in to Mama," she said. "She'll want to see you."

"But I want to stay with you."

"You can be my shadow later. Go."

Obediently Esme let go and trotted into the house, and Rae stood up. "Thank you," she said, her voice threatening to crack. "The authorities told us they'd contacted the Jedi, but with the war and all, we were worried you didn't have the time or the resources to help us regular citizens. Thank you so much."

Kira smiled. "You're welcome," she replied. "I'm glad we could find your sister."

Rae gestured towards the inside of the house. "Would you like to come in?"

"No, thank you. We're preparing to return to Coruscant. We have reason to believe that the war is close to an end."

"Really?"

Kira nodded.

Rae exhaled. "That's a relief."

"It is to all of us, I think." Kira inclined her head. "Good day to you."

"And to you," Rae said as Kira and Trapper turned to make their way back to the speeders they'd been using. The sound of the door closing echoed throughout the quiet neighborhood.

Kira swung a leg over her speeder and started the engines. "There are landing docks near the square," she told Trapper. "That's where we'll rendezvous with the transports."

Trapper put his helmet back on before he started his own speeder. "Lead the way, Commander," he said, and the two set off for the docks.

* * *

 **Pretty straightforward beginning, I think. What do you think, Kira?**

 **Kira: I guess. *shrug* I liked the first chapter of I Know Places better.**

 **Me: I did, too. Alright, guys, I've got a new poll on my profile for y'all - which book in the Eyes Open Saga is your favorite so far? Oh, and if you're a guest, you can leave your answer in the review. Don't want to exclude you guys! :)**

 **Kira: You like these polls, don't you?**

 **Me: Oh yes.**

 **Kira: Can I pick a song before you start doing more self advertising?**

 **Me: If you like. But you have to do the review notice, too.**

 **Kira: Fine. -_-**

 **Tablet: I can't compete with the she wolf who has brought me to my knees...**

 **Kira: Please take a minute to review if you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn. Thanks in advance!**

 **Me: Thank you for doing it cheerfully this time, Kira.**

 **Kira: Meh. I'm in a good mood today.**

 **Me: Cool! Well, guys, I'm off to take a long, hot shower. Thanks for clicking in and may the Force be with you always! :D**

 **Kira: See you next time! :)**


	2. Everything's On Fire

**'ello, peoples of the earth!**

 **Now, because I'm nice, I'll warn you now - this is where the fun begins. For those of you who ordered truckloads of tissues, now is probably the time to bring them out. Ehehehe.**

 **Thanks to StarwarsRulz, katierosefun, Guest, alexhacker39, Lux's Sister (yay, you got a profile! But why didn't you turn on your PMs?), and CaylithTheGolden for your wonderful reviews. As usual, they brightened up my day. So thank you. :)**

 **And now, without further ado, I present Chapter 2 of Safe and Sound. Hope y'all enjoy! :)**

* * *

"Commander on the bridge," an officer called out as Kira walked onto the bridge of the _Peacekeeper,_ the cruiser that had picked up her and her troops. The transports had met them at the landing docks, as planned, and taken them up to the cruiser that would deliver them to Coruscant.

Kira had been in her quarters on the ship when Trapper had commed her, claiming to have news of Obi-Wan on Utapau. Kira was hoping it was good news, as her Master had gone to that Outer Rim world to find General Grievous. No word of him had reached Kira since he'd left the Temple.

Now she nodded to the officers on the bridge. "At ease, men," she said, heading straight for Trapper and Wooley, who stood near a hologram station. "What's the word, Trapper?"

Trapper turned to Kira, sporting a large grin on his face. "Great news, Commander. General Kenobi has defeated Grievous."

Kira's eyes widened. "Grievous is dead?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Kira exhaled in relief. "Then the war is over."

Trapper nodded, still grinning. "Yes, ma'am."

An officer approached Kira's side. "Commander, we are preparing to make the jump to lightspeed. The ship is being turned around as we speak."

"Very good, officer." Kira glanced out the viewport to find that, sure enough, Ganthel was no longer directly in front of the cruiser. Instead, the shimmering gray disk now filled the left side of the viewport.

Wooley stretched his arms. "If I'm no longer needed here, Commander, I'm gonna head to the bunker to get some shut-eye."

"That is perfectly fine, Wooley," Kira said. "And it's a good idea. I'd like to be fresh when we arrive at Coruscant." She turned to Trapper. "Are you also going to go and get some rest?"

Trapper shook his head. "I'm not tired, Commander."

"Then I transfer all command to your capable hands until we reach Coruscant," Kira said, turning to make her way off the bridge. "Wake me when we arrive, will you?"

"Whatever you say, Commander," Trapper answered. Kira could hear the grin in his voice as she walked out.

* * *

 _She was standing in the middle of the Council chambers, the circle of Masters surrounding her. For once, all twelve of them had been able to attend the meeting in person. This was not a relief to Kira, who had never liked being debriefed after a mission._

 _Kira took a few deep breaths and looked over to Obi-Wan for reassurance. His subtle, encouraging nod calmed her down. However, before she could begin, Agen Kolar disappeared from his seat. No warning, no goodbye, nothing. It was as if he'd been a hologram that had suddenly flickered off._

 _The unnerving thing was that Agen's Force signature had disappeared with him._

 _At Kira's questioning glance, Ki-Adi Mundi spoke up. "Master Kolar has joined the Force, young one," he explained gently. "Now, if you would begin?"_

 _Shaken and fighting not to let it show, Kira tried again to begin explaining what had happened on Ganthel. Saesee Tiin evaporated from his seat, his Force signature gone with him. Kit Fisto was next to go, then Mace Windu followed._

 _Kira couldn't pretend not to notice. "Masters, what's going on?"_

 _In that short period, Anakin Skywalker had also disappeared, but his Force signature remained. This only confused Kira more. None of the remaining Masters answered her question, but they, too, were beginning to look afraid of whatever threat was coming. Plo Koon and Ki-Adi vanished. Stass Allie and Coleman Kcaj had also disappeared. All four of their Force signatures were gone as well._

 _Kira glanced around the room. Three Masters were left: Shaak Ti, Yoda, and Obi-Wan._

 _Kira's hand flew to her mouth in shock. She looked directly at Obi-Wan when she spoke next. "Master, what's happening?"_

 _Obi-Wan rose from his seat and approached Kira. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder as he said, "You must be strong now, my young apprentice. It's time to wake up."_

 _Wake up?_

Kira's eyes flew open, feeling as if something was holding her down.

In fact, there was. Trapper stood by Kira's bunk, one gloved hand pressed firmly over her mouth. She immediately began to squirm, trying to escape the trooper's grasp. She attempted to speak, but to no avail. "Mmph!" was all that came out.

At last, Trapper spoke. "You've got to promise to stay quiet, Commander. Please."

Curious at the urgency in Trapper's voice, Kira nodded. Trapper removed his hand from her mouth, and she sat up in her bunk, throwing her legs over the side. "What's going on, Trapper? Why would you scare me like that?"

Trapper held up a hand to signal Kira to stop talking. "We've dropped out of hyperspace. You need to take your fighter and leave while you have a chance."

"Trapper, what are you talking about? Why would I need to leave?" Somehow Kira was sure that whatever reason Trapper had for getting her to leave was connected with her dream. And, with a pang, Kira realized that she could no longer feel the Force signatures of many of the Jedi she'd trained with and learned from over the years.

Luminara Unduli, the Master who'd rescued Kira, her friend Caleb, and his Master Depa Billaba from the Unknown Regions after a shuttle crash. Depa herself, who'd been a calming presence in those trying days. Aayla Secura, the Master who Kira and Obi-Wan had fought with on Toydaria. Kandra Rayley and Alex Greenhold, two girls Kira had met during her first days at the Temple.

All gone.

And more and more Force signatures were disappearing by the minute.

The pieces were beginning to come together in Kira's mind. Since the war had begun, the Jedi had been dispatched across the universe to fight battles on distant worlds, with the clones at their side. And the Jedi she could no longer feel had all been on missions. Luminara, she knew, had been on Kashyyyk, and Aayla had been on Felucia. And Depa had taken Caleb on a mission to Kaller, a planet in the Outer Rim.

Every single one of them had been fighting with clones.

"Trapper?" Kira reached for her lightsaber, ready to activate it if the clone tried to shoot her. "I'm going to ask again. What's going on?"

Trapper unhooked his blaster from his belt, and for a moment Kira was afraid she'd have to use her saber. However, instead of raising the blaster to shoot her, Trapper threw it to the floor. It slid across the steel floor and hit the wall. "Commander, just get to your fighter and go," he pleaded. _"Please._ Every minute you stay here puts you at risk."

Kira stared at Trapper for a moment, then started for the door. Before she pressed the button to open it, she glanced over her shoulder at the clone she'd gotten to know over the years. Something told her she would not be seeing him again for a very long time, if ever again. The clones all over the galaxy were slaughtering their Jedi Generals for some terrible reason that she did not yet know, yet one had more than likely saved her life. "Thank you," she finally said. "I won't forget this, and I won't forget you."

Trapper offered a sad smile. "I won't forget you either, Commander."

"For the last time, Trapper," Kira said, trying to smile back and finding it hard to do, "it's Kira." Then she opened the door and disappeared into the corridor.

* * *

The corridor of the _Peacekeeper_ was silent, except for the sound of Kira's boots clicking against the floor as she raced to the hangar bay. The eerie echoing noise did not soothe her uneasy nerves.

The Padawan's mind raced with questions. Were the clones the only Republic soldiers that had turned on the Jedi? If so, why? If not, who among the admirals and other officials had also turned traitor? Her thoughts drifted to her friends. To her relief, the Master-Padawan bond between her and Obi-Wan had not been broken. However, there was still Cadena and Caleb to worry about. Would Cadena be able to escape with her baby? Would Caleb be able to find a way off Kaller without his Master?

"You there!"

With a gasp, Kira glanced over her shoulder to see two clone troopers on her tail. Their blasters were cocked and ready to fire, and Kira was certain they weren't set on stun. She activated her lightsaber just before the first clone fired.

After a couple swings of her blade, Kira had disarmed both of the troopers and started running for the hangar bay again. She could hear one of them activating his comlink. "All units on high alert!" he called into the communicator. "The Jedi is on deck fifteen and heading for the lower levels. She is armed and highly dangerous. Shoot to kill."

Kira bit her lip so hard she tasted blood in her mouth as she sprinted down the corridor toward the lift. Not the first place she wanted to be, but it was the fastest route she could think to take. Quickly she ducked into an available lift and pressed the button that would take her to the lower hangar bay.

A few levels down, the turbolift stopped to admit more passengers. Knowing the new passengers would more than likely be clones, Kira braced herself and reached for her lightsaber.

She was expecting any clone who entered the lift to turn his blaster on her.

But she wasn't expecting Wooley to be one of the four clones that boarded.

She wasn't expecting to have to fight a good friend.

She wasn't expecting to have to bury her blade in Wooley's chest.

She wasn't expecting the tears to gather behind her eyes as she stood in the middle of the lift, surrounded by the smoking bodies of the men she had been proud to fight beside.

Angrily, Kira wiped those tears away as the lift stopped again, this time on the hangar bay level. She blinked to clear her eyes of any more moisture before she stepped into the corridor. Luckily, there were no clones there to "greet" her.

Kira glanced down both sides of the hallway before she made her way to the entrance of the hangar bay. The door was closed, and she contemplated how to get to her fighter before she pressed the button to open the door. Pull up her hood and walk down the middle of the hangar? Stick near the wall and go the long way around?

In the end, she decided to make a run for it. Unlike other ships, the _Peacekeeper_ featured small hangar bays that didn't run along the entire length of the ship.

Bracing herself once again, Kira pressed the button and, once the door opened, dashed inside the hangar. She made it past quite a few transports before a trooper finally noticed her. "Blast the Jedi!" he shouted to his fellow clones. Kira immediately activated her saber to deflect the bolts she knew were coming.

"Widen the perimeter! Surround her!" The troopers rushed to follow their brother's instructions, but they were a little late. Kira had already jumped onto the wing of her fighter and climbed into the cockpit. As she started the engines, she just barely heard the cry of, "Shut down the hyperspace rings!" before she raised the fighter's shields. Hopefully the admiral of the _Peacekeeper_ would ask questions about such an order and buy Kira some time.

The clones below continued to shoot at Kira's fighter, but it was no use. The Padawan guided the ship into one of the hyperspace rings stationed nearby, then maneuvered the ship and the ring into space. She flew a little ways away from the _Peacekeeper_ before she made the jump to hyperspace. She had to smile a little at the efficiency with which her fighter performed. _Gotta love the Delta-7._

With that, Kira settled in for a hyperspace trip. Until further notice, she was headed for Alderaan.

She was simply hoping she wouldn't have to stay there long.

She released a silent plea into the Force. _Master, where are you?_

* * *

 **So now Kira's not talking to me. Not sure why...**

 **Kira: ...**

 **Me: ...**

 **Kira: ...**

 **Me: ...you know, it's not going to help if you don't talk to me.**

 **Kira: ...**

 **Me: I'll kill Caleb if you don't say something.**

 **Kira: DON'T YOU DARE.**

 **Me: Ha! I knew you felt something for him! :D**

 **Kira: Shut up. *turns away***

 **Me: *clicks tongue* Now, Kira, what would your Master say if he saw you acting like this?**

 **Kira: Shut. Up.**

 **Me: Hey, you know how I am about sticking to canon. Well, except for ships, but other than that. Would it help if I let you pick a song?**

 **Kira: No.**

 **Me: *shrug* Suit yourself.**

 **Tablet: Let's light it up, let's light it up until our hearts catch fire...**

 **Me: And since I'm slightly scared that Kira will kill me if I tell her to do the review notice, I'll do it myself. If you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn, please review and let me know. Thanks in advance!**

 **Kira: Still mad.**

 **Me: Honey, I don't think you're the only one. Thanks for clicking in, everyone, and may the Force be with you always. *whispers* Please don't kill me...**

 **Kira: Evidently there will be a line.**

 **Me: HEY! Don't you use Loki quotes on me!**


	3. All Those Shadows

**'ello, peoples of the earth!**

 **So first, I get to thank y'all for being so patient (again). You have no idea how much I appreciate that.**

 **Next, I get to thank katierosefun, Zenkid100, Lux's Sister, StarwarsRulz, and CaylithTheGolden for their reviews. I've come to anticipate your reviews by now. XD**

 **And lastly, I get to present Chapter 3 of Safe and Sound. Hope y'all enjoy! :)**

* * *

Now that the danger had passed, the adrenaline rush that had kept Kira going dissapated, leaving the Padawan tired and drained. Right then, sitting in her fighter as it cruised through hyperspace, all Kira wanted to do was curl up somewhere and sleep. Never mind that she had been resting in her bunk not even an hour beforehand.

However, if one is piloting any sort of spacecraft, it is wise not to fall asleep. So Kira simply stretched her legs as far in front of her as she could, which wasn't much considering the small amount of room in the cockpit, and leaned back in her seat.

The communicator built into the fighter beeped. Kira glanced warily at the button before she pressed it.

Relief shot through Kira's veins when a hologram of Obi-Wan popped up on the small station. The transmission was shaky, but it was something. "Master!" she cried, sitting up.

Obi-Wan offered a tired smile. "Padawan," he greeted Kira. "It's good to see you safe."

"And you as well, Master." Kira relaxed a little. Obi-Wan would make things right. He always did. "What's happening? My troops turned on me; Trapper helped me escape. I don't-"

Obi-Wan interrupted. "I know you have questions, Kira, but they must wait for now. We cannot keep these signals active for long, or the clones may find us."

Kira shifted in her seat. "I understand."

"Good. Now, I need you to listen carefully," Obi-Wan began. "There is no clone presence on Onderon, so that is where we have decided to meet."

 _We._ Obi-Wan wasn't alone. "Who else survived, Master?"

"Kira, we don't have time. When you reach Onderon, fly to the spaceport at Iziz. Jim has agreed to meet you there."

Cadena's husband. Kira briefly wondered if Cadena had also survived.

"Do not worry about your ring; the spaceport will retrieve it for you. I doubt you will be needing it again anyway."

Kira studied the hologram of her Master. "Is that all?"

"It is. I must shut down the signal-"

"Master, please! Did Cadena survive?"

Obi-Wan nodded. "She did survive, but she is not in good health. She has been comatose for a few hours."

Kira bit her lip. "And Master Skywalker? Did he survive as well?"

Even through the fuzzy hologram, Kira could see Obi-Wan stiffen at her inquiry. A pang rushed through her as she wondered if Anakin had indeed been killed along with so many other Jedi. "Forget I said anything, Master. I'm sorry."

"It's all right." But Obi-Wan's face said that the subject was not all right at all. "I will explain everything as best as I can when I get back to Iziz, Kira. Until then, may the Force be with you."

"May the Force be with you, Master." Kira reached for the button to terminate the call. Only after Obi-Wan's hologram disappeared did she realize what he had said.

 _When I get back to Iziz._

That implied that Obi-Wan had already left. So where was he going?

Kira shook her head wearily and sighed as she dropped out of hyperspace to reprogram her coordinates. With a few clicks, she typed the coordinates for Onderon into her nav computer and once again jumped to lightspeed.

 _One less thing to worry about,_ Kira thought to herself, relieved at the news of Obi-Wan amd Cadena's survival. However, she did not bother to add that a hundred other things to fret over had been crammed into her brain at once to replace the one.

She hoped to go to sleep that night without dragging any more worries with her.

* * *

It was hard to find an empty bay in which to land the fighter. The Iziz spaceport was incredibly crowded, and Kira would prefer to have a minimal number of sentients see her land. She didn't know what news, if any, had reached Onderon yet. For all she knew, the people might already be turned against any Jedi they laid eyes on!

At last, Kira found an empty bay to land in, with only the attendant droid to greet her. When prompted for the landing fee, she produced the appropriate number of credits from the pouch at her waist and dropped them into the droid's metal hand.

"Good. You're here."

Kira turned to face the owner of the voice: Jim. The sandy-haired young man had appeared in the entrance to the bay while Kira had been paying the droid. "Well, I'm not somewhere else," she replied as she approached him, hoping to see one of Jim's winning smiles.

The joke didn't produce the result Kira had hoped for. Instead, Jim's face stayed grim. Kira looked away and made sure her cloak covered the lightsaber at her waist.

"Forgot something." Reaching up, Jim pushed Kira's Padawan braid behind her head. "You might want to put your hood up."

Kira looked back up at Jim. "Yeah, I guess so," she said, following his advice. She gestured towards the bay outside. "Shall we?"

Jim nodded.

After that, all conversation between them ceased. Jim led Kira out of the spaceport and into the bright Onderon sunlight. The two soon disappeared into the sentients that choked the streets of Iziz, Jim walking ahead of Kira. The younger girl had to trot to keep up with his fast pace, for she did not wish to lose him in the crowd.

Kira sensed a mixture of irritation, impatience, and worry in Jim's Force signature as they walked. It was not a long way to the residential area of the city, but the crowds blocked the streets and made their journey a bit more difficult. She could tell he was worried about Cadena and wished to get back to her as soon as possible.

She knew the feeling. She was worried, too.

At last, Jim led Kira onto a quieter street that was not so crowded. Modest homes lined the street on both sides, and only a few sentients were out and about. Jim all but broke into a sprint, startling Kira, who took off after him. "Jim, wait!"

The man did not listen. Instead, he raced up the street to a small beige-colored house. Kira caught up with him at the door, where he fumbled in his pocket for a keycard. Then, as he attempted to unlock the door, he dropped the card to the ground, where it slid into the yard and out of sight.

It took Kira a moment to find the card, but when she did, she held it firmly in her closed hand as she returned to the door. "Let me," she said quietly, sliding the card into the slot.

Jim was patient enough to allow Kira to enter ahead of him. However, when the door shut behind them, he made his way into the hall, leaving Kira in the foyer. She heard the sounds of an opening door and quiet voices before the door shut again. From the extra voice, Kira could only assume that Jim had gotten someone to watch over Cadena while he was gone.

Footsteps approached, and Kira looked up from the hook on which she'd just hung her cloak. She was not expecting to see the familiar Togruta that emerged from the hall. "Ahsoka!"

Ahsoka grinned. "That would be me," she said, clasping her hands behind her back. She gave Kira a quick once-over as she stepped forward. "Look how you've grown!"

Kira laughed. "You act as if I was a little kid when you last saw me," she said. She threw her arms around Ahsoka for a quick hug. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too," Ahsoka said as the girls separated, "although I wish it was under slightly different circumstances."

Kira stepped back. "How's Cadena?"

Ahsoka sighed. "Not well, as I'm sure Obi-Wan told you."

"No improvement?"

"No change at all." Ahsoka laid a hand on Kira's shoulder. "At least she hasn't gotten worse."

"Can I see her?"

Ahsoka shook her head. "Perhaps tomorrow morning," she said. "By then, she will hopefully have woken up."

"Hopefully." Kira shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

"Now, I'll bet you're feeling pretty beat up, right?" Ahsoka gestured for Kira to follow her into the hall. "The refresher is the first door on the left, and your room is the last one on the right. You can get cleaned up, then you can go to bed, or you can eat dinner with Jim and me. I'm making some spiced nuna."

Kira couldn't deny that she was feeling rather tired. "One question," she said.

"And what might that be?"

Kira gestured to herself. "I didn't bring a spare change."

"I've thought of that. There are some things I have that don't fit me, but looking at you now, I'd say they'd fit you like a glove. I'll leave them on your bed."

"Thanks, Ahsoka." Kira started for the refresher, then turned back around. "One other question."

"You already asked a question."

Both girls giggled, but then Kira turned serious. "Where's Master Kenobi?"

Ahsoka's grin faded, and a dark look crossed her face. "We'll talk about that later," was all she said.

* * *

In the end, Kira opted to eat dinner with Ahsoka and Jim. Delicious scents wafted into the refresher from the kitchen, and by the time Kira exited the shower, she was anxious to taste whatever it was that smelled so savory.

Kira quickly dressed in the light tunic and leggings Ahsoka had left for her, then made her way to the kitchen. She found Ahsoka crouching in front of a high chair, in which the baby boy sat, clapping his hands together. Kira grinned at the sight.

"Alright, sweetums. Got some yum-yum for ya," Ahsoka cooed as she unscrewed the lid of a jar of baby food. "It's gonna be delicious, isn't it, little guy?"

The baby chattered in baby talk.

Ahsoka laughed. "Yeah, it's your dinner. Now open up."

Ahsoka continued to talk to the baby while she fed him. Kira walked around the kitchen and straightened it up a bit, putting away the spices and wiping the counter. She found a stack of mugs in the cabinet and filled three of them with blue milk.

By that time, Ahsoka had finished feeding the baby and proceeded to make a mess while doing so. Well, it wasn't totally Ahsoka's fault. It was the baby's fault, too.

Kira sighed to herself. She really did hate calling Cadena's son "the baby".

"Thanks for cleaning up." Ahsoka's voice brought Kira out of her thoughts, and the younger girl looked up to see the Togruta rinsing the rag she'd used to clean the baby, herself, and the high chair. "Can you go knock on Jim's door and tell him that dinner is ready?"

"Sure. Third on the left, correct?"

"Third on the _right._ "

"Ah." With that, Kira made her way out of the kitchen and into the hall to the correct door. She knocked gently on the door three times. "Jim?" she called quietly. "Dinner's ready."

No answer came from within. Kira frowned and considered trying again, but Ahsoka called from the kitchen. "Just leave him for now, Kira. He'll be out in a minute."

"Okay." Kira turned around and headed back to the kitchen, where Ahsoka had just finished setting down the plates of nuna. She sat down across from the Togruta and took a sip of blue milk, but she felt as if she would burst if her questions were not answered. "Ahsoka, when Master Kenobi contacted me, he'd already left Onderon. Where did he go?"

Ahsoka took her time chewing and swallowing her nuna. Kira didn't take a bite until her friend spoke. "Obi-Wan went back to Coruscant," Ahsoka explained, holding up a hand when Kira opened her mouth to express disbelief. "You remember the 'come home' signal from your initial training?"

Kira nodded, silent for the moment.

"I suspect you didn't receive it, since you didn't have your comlink with you when you arrived." Ahsoka sipped her own blue milk. "But Obi-Wan went to reverse the signal. He'll be back as soon as possible."

Kira's throat was dry. "That's it?"

Ahsoka looked up. Her tone was serious when she spoke. "No," she said slowly. "The Council...Kira, they found Darth Sidious. He...he was Chancellor Palpatine."

Kira put down her fork, having lost her appetite. "Master Kenobi went to confront him, didn't he?"

Ahsoka nodded. "There's more. There are rumors of a new Sith apprentice, one that Darth Sidious took on after Count Dooku died. Obi-Wan also went to find out if the rumors are true."

Kira bit her lip. "And if so?"

"Then he'll confront that Sith as well."

Kira pushed her chair back and stood. "I think I should go get some sleep," she said quietly. "Thank you for dinner. It...it was delicious."

Neither girl mentioned the fact that Kira hadn't taken one bite of her meal, and Kira added her growling stomach to her growing list of worries as she crawled into bed that night.

* * *

 **So I may or may not have made Jim a little OOC - I probably should've let katierosefun look at the chapter before I posted it. After all, she was the one who originally created Jim, so Caroline, I am so, so sorry if I got him out of character.**

 **Kira: So when are you going to tell the readers what you've been doing for the past week?**

 **Me: Er...lots of things, Kira. There's been youth group, the farmer's market gig-**

 **Kira: The OTHER thing.**

 **Me: ...you've been going through my browser history again, haven't you?**

 **Kira: Yep.**

 **Me: *facepalm* Tumblr is a rabbit hole, you guys, even for those who do not officially have a blog.**

 **Kira: And now she's making plans to make one of her own.**

 **Me: Two, in fact. Oh, and if anyone has any info on Dawn Syndulla or the writer that created her, can you please tell me in your review or a PM? I've been driving myself nuts looking for her. I don't ship Kanera, honest I don't, but curiosity killed the cat about this human/Twi'lek that has seemed to cause quite a stir in the Rebels fandom.**

 **Kira: Can I pick a song now?**

 **Me: You interrupted me!**

 **Kira: Too bad. Can I pick a song or not?**

 **Me: NO.**

 **Tablet: California nights make me feel so happy I could die, but I try to stay alive...**

 **Me: You're kidding, right?**

 **Kira: Heh.**

 **Me: For that, you can do the review notice.**

 **Kira: You were going to make me do it anyway. Please review if you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn. Thanks in advance, readers.**

 **Me: You're mad at me again, aren't you?**

 **Kira: Yep.**

 **Me: Well, that's that. Thanks for clicking in, peoples, and may the Force be with you always! Now! *slides into chair* Time to write some whump! Let me think...Kanan or Obi?**

 **Kira: WHAT THE KRIFF!? *snatches tablet***

 **Me: Hey, get back here! Give that back!**

 ***wrestling match ensues***


	4. I'll Never Let You Go

**'ello, peoples of the earth!**

 **Well, I'll warn y'all. You may want to get out your tissue shipments, you may not. I don't know. This one is a slower chapter, so I'm sorry if it's boring.**

 **Thanks to CaylithTheGolden, katierosefun, Lux's Sister, StarwarsRulz, and Zenkid100 for reviewing the last chapter! As usual, thank you for your comments. :)**

 **And now, I present Chapter 4 of Safe and Sound! Hope y'all enjoy!**

* * *

Cadena did not wake up the next morning, nor the next, and still Obi-Wan did not return. Ahsoka would not allow Kira to leave the house, saying that her face would be all over the wanted holo-images by now. Kira desperately wanted to go outside, to do _anything_ besides just sitting in the house, but Ahsoka was firm. "Not until all the excitement dies down," she insisted.

In the meantime, Ahsoka left many times, but to do what, Kira had yet to learn. The one time she asked, Ahsoka tactfully changed the subject. Kira did not ask again.

For three days, the tension in that house was so thick that it threatened to smother its inhabitants. Jim would not budge from Cadena's bedside. Kira played with the baby and kept him quiet. Ahsoka would leave the house and come back with no news - _or answers,_ Kira sulked to herself.

And all three of them worried.

On the fourth morning, Kira was entertaining the baby with a squeaky tooka doll when a knock sounded on the door. Startled and wary, Kira left the baby happily waving the toy in the air and quietly crept to the window. She peered outside from behind the curtain.

Outside, a hooded figure with a small bundle in his hands waited patiently. And when the figure turned his head to look over his shoulder, Kira knew it was safe to let him in.

Hurriedly, Kira rushed to the door and opened it. "Master!" she exclaimed, standing back to allow Obi-Wan entrance.

Obi-Wan quickly stepped inside and removed his hood while Kira fingered the control panel to shut the door behind him. "Is Ahsoka here?" he asked.

Kira shook her head. "She left a few minutes ago."

"Good."

Now that startled Kira. "Good? Master, I don't understand."

"I'll explain momentarily." Obi-Wan carefully handed his bundle to Kira. "Can you hold him for a moment?"

 _Him?_ Kira took the bundle and gasped when she saw a tiny face inside the cloth. "Goodness!" she exclaimed. "And who is this?"

"His name is Luke." Leaving Kira with Luke cradled in her arms, Obi-Wan headed into the hall toward Cadena's room. Not really knowing what else to do, she carried him to the sofa in the living area and sat down. When she looked up to keep an eye on Cadena's baby, she found him still playing with the tooka doll. Kira leaned back into one of the cushions, satisfied that both boys were calm and happy.

At least, she hoped the gurgling noises Luke was making meant he was happy.

A moment later, Obi-Wan and Jim entered the living area. Jim lifted his son off the floor and held him close to his chest. In response, the baby cooed and waved his tiny fist, which still held the tooka doll.

Obi-Wan took a seat beside Kira, who looked up at him worriedly. "What happened?" she asked, noticing how tired her Master seemed. Dark circles hung under his eyes, which had lost their sparkle.

The older man glanced down at Kira. "Did Ahsoka tell you about Sidious?"

Kira nodded. "She also mentioned the possibility of a new Sith apprentice."

To Kira's surprise, tears began to form in Obi-Wan's eyes. "I found the apprentice," he said simply, somehow managing to keep his voice steady.

"And?"

Kira regretted speaking the moment the word escaped her mouth. Her Master was struggling, she could see. The Force around him churned with sadness. After a few seconds, he was able to speak. "It was Anakin."

Kira's eyes widened at the revelation. "Master Skywalker!?"

"Now known as Darth Vader, if you will," Jim spoke for the first time since Kira had arrived at the house.

The girl whipped around to look at Jim. "Does Cadena know?"

"He almost choked her to death."

Kira sank back into her seat. "I can't believe it," she murmured, trying to process the information. The last time she'd seen Anakin, he'd been teasing Cadena and poking her in the nose. He was a great Jedi, even if he was a little rash at times, and a good friend to Obi-Wan. What possibly could have happened to change all that?

No wonder Obi-Wan had been glad to hear that Ahsoka wasn't there - who knew what she might have thought. And Kira couldn't imagine being in Cadena's shoes, waking up and finding out that her Master turning to the dark side had not been just a terrible dream. "I suppose I'm not to tell Ahsoka."

Obi-Wan nodded wearily. "There's no hiding it from Cadena. But Ahsoka ... you know how she is."

Kira did know. If Ahsoka found out, she might try to find the newly named Darth Vader and attempt to get him to return to the light side of the Force. And even if Kira believed that Ahsoka had a right to know what had happened, she also believed that what Ahsoka didn't know would ultimately keep her safe.

"Where does Luke come in?" Kira asked, glancing down at the child in her arms.

Obi-Wan spoke again. "I suppose you heard that Senator Amidala was pregnant?"

"Yes, Master." As much as one tried, one could not escape such gossip.

"Well, you're holding her and Vader's son."

Kira gasped once more and clutched Luke closer to her. Looking down at him again, she could detect some traces of Anakin Skywalker in him. The Force was strong with the infant, as it had been with his father. And Luke shared Anakin's bright blue eyes. Kira raised her hand to cup the child's small cheek, lightly brushing his skin with her thumb. He yawned.

Obi-Wan looked on with sadness in his eyes. "The senator died in childbirth. She had a daughter, too," he said quietly. "Leia."

Kira looked up. "Where is she?"

"On Alderaan. Senator Organa and his wife adopted her."

Jim spoke again. "Why is Luke here? Are we keeping him with us?"

Obi-Wan shook his head. "I'm taking him to his family on Tatooine. Vader has a stepbrother there."

"Shouldn't the twins stay together?" Kira asked. "I don't like the idea of separating them."

"It is necessary, young one," Obi-Wan said, resting a hand on Kira's shoulder. "It is safer for both of them."

Kira looked back down at Luke, who was tugging on her Padawan braid. He stuck his tongue out at her, and Kira couldn't help but remember Anakin's sassy attitude.

"You're going to need to cut that, young one."

Kira glanced up at Obi-Wan. "What do you mean?"

Obi-Wan nodded toward the braid. "The Padawan braid. You'll need to cut it."

Kira gently pulled her braid from Luke's grasp and inspected it for a moment, rolling it between her fingers. "I can't," she finally said, embarrassed when her voice cracked.

"Whyever not?"

Kira dropped the braid. "I just can't, Master. Being a Jedi - being your Padawan - is my life. It'll be like cutting away a part of me that I never want to lose."

During the silence that followed, Jim's son began to cry. Jim carried him into the kitchen, probably to feed him, Kira thought absentmindedly. That baby didn't appreciate it when his lunch was late.

At last, Obi-Wan cleared his throat. "It is merely a safety measure, Kira, nothing more."

"I know." Kira looked up at her Master. "Why does it have to be cut? Could I just unbraid it?"

Obi-Wan thought for a moment. "I don't see why not. Would you like me to do it?"

"Yes, Master."

As Obi-Wan had put Kira's Padawan braid in place six years before, so he removed it that day in the house on Onderon. When he was finished, he combed the strands of the braid into the rest of Kira's hair with his fingers. Both Master and Padawan said a silent prayer to the Force that one day, Obi-Wan would be able to put the braid back in its proper place once again.

After this was done, Kira swallowed the lump in her throat and adjusted her grip on Luke, who'd fallen asleep. "You didn't come simply to deliver news," she said. "There's something else you wanted to say." It wasn't a question; Kira could sense it in the bond she shared with Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan nodded slowly. "I came to say goodbye," he said.

"Goodbye?" Kira stared incredulously at Obi-Wan. "What do you mean, Master?"

The older man sighed. "After I deliver Luke to his uncle, I must stay on Tatooine to look after him. You are staying here with Ahsoka, Jim and Cadena," he explained.

Kira could only shake her head. "Surely something can be worked out," she pleaded. "We could keep the baby here so you could stay or I could come with you, but please, Master, don't let half the galaxy separate us. You're..." Her breath caught in her throat. "You're like a father to me."

Obi-Wan rested his hand on Kira's shoulder. "It's for your own safety," he said quietly, "and for Luke's."

Kira was silent, and Obi-Wan did not speak again. They sat there until Jim returned with his son, now sated and calm. "I heard everything," he said, his eyes focused on Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan nodded. "I will keep a channel on my hologram open," he said. "Please do not use it unless absolutely necessary."

"Cadena and Ahsoka will be upset to have missed you."

"Give them both my regards." Obi-Wan stood up.

Kira stood, too. "Please reconsider, Master," she begged one last time. "Take me with you."

Obi-Wan turned to the girl and silently reached for Luke. Kira bit her lip as she placed the baby in his arms, struggling to force that lump back down her throat. When Obi-Wan had a good grip on Luke, he placed a gentle hand on Kira's shoulder once more. "We will see each other again," he promised solemnly.

Kira could only nod.

Jim was the one to see Obi-Wan to the door, and the men talked in quiet tones before Obi-Wan opened the door. Kira found words just before he stepped outside. "Master!" she called after him.

Obi-Wan looked back. "What is it?"

Kira lifted a hand in goodbye. "May the Force be with you, Master."

Obi-Wan offered a smile. "Take care, Kira. May the Force be with you." Then he was gone.

Kira fell back onto the couch and held her head in her hands. First the Order, then her Master. What else would this terrible time take from her?

Jim sat down beside the distraught former Padawan, his son still cradled in the crook of his arm. "Are you okay?" he asked.

Kira shook her head.

Jim gently patted Kira's back. "It'll work out, I'm sure. You'll see." The way he said it, Kira was certain Jim was talking to himself as well as her.

The baby gurgled, then threw up on Jim's shirt. Kira had to laugh at the startled look on the man's face. "I'll go get something to clean him up," Jim said, standing.

"You might want to go clean yourself up," Kira replied. She reached for the giggling baby boy. "I'll take care of him."

"Thanks." Jim handed the baby to Kira.

With that, the two exited the living room and went opposite ways, Jim to his room and Kira to the kitchen. "All right, little guy," she cooed as she opened drawers, looking for a rag. "Let's get you nice and clean, yeah? Wouldn't want your mama waking up to see you like this, would we?"

Kira continued to talk to the baby while she wiped his face clean, and he chattered back in baby talk. In truth, Kira was almost glad the baby boy had gone and gotten himself messy. Cleaning him gave her something to keep her mind off of Obi-Wan and his departure.

A minute later, something else happened to distract Kira. A weak cry came from Cadena's room. "Jim..."

Kira stopped, sure she was hearing things until the call came again, stronger this time. "Jim!"

"Jim!" Kira plopped the baby in his chair and raced down the hall toward Jim's room. "She's up, Jim!" she exclaimed, knocking on the door. "Cadena's calling for you!"

The door hissed open, and Jim peered out, now dressed in a fresh shirt. "What!?"

"Listen!"

The cry came again. "JIM!"

Jim didn't say another word, instead rushing to Cadena's room. Kira headed back to the kitchen for the baby, remembering that she'd forgotten to secure him in the chair. Luckily, he hadn't fallen.

"Time to go see your mama," Kira said cheerfully as she picked up the baby, who squealed. "Yeah, I bet she'll be happy to see you, too."

* * *

 **Let me tell you ... it killed me to write this chapter. I'm a zombie right now. The feels killed me.**

 **Kira: ...you look fine to me.**

 **Me: Nope. I'm dead. I'm a zombie.**

 **Kira: ...no, you're not.**

 **Me: Inside I am.**

 **Kira: Suit yourself.**

 **Me: Thanks. Anyway, for once, I have no announcements today, so Kira, do you want to pick a song?**

 **Kira: Do I have to do the review notice?**

 **Me: Yes.**

 **Kira: ...what if I don't pick a song?**

 **Me: Then you still have to do the review notice.**

 **Kira: Ugh, fine. Give me the tablet, please.**

 **Tablet: When life leaves you high and dry, I'll be at your door tonight if you need help, if you need help...**

 **Me: Whenever you're ready, Kira. And don't give me that face! You look like you're walking to your death!**

 **Kira: It feels like that.**

 **Me: Hey-**

 **Kira: If you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up-**

 **Me: I was talking!**

 **Kira: -and watch it burn, please review and let-**

 **Me: BE SILENT!**

 **Kira: -AMY KNOW. THANKS IN ADVANCE.**

 **Me: Did you just...**

 **Kira: Yup! :)**

 **Me: ...we'll talk about this later. Well, guys, thanks for clicking in, and may the Force be with you always! And now, if you'll excuse me, I have a rebellious OC to tend to. *turns to Kira* Creepy place. Now.**

 **Kira: *pales* Not there. NOT THERE.**

 **Me: Come along. *drags Kira away***

 **Kira: NO! NOT THERE! SOMEBODY, HELP! NOOOOOOOOOOO!**


	5. Tears Streaming Down Your Face

**'ello, peoples of the earth!**

 **I have good news and bad news. Good news: I posted a new story! Some of you may have seen the alert and read it already, but for those of you who haven't, it's an AU featuring Cadena. Bad news: Now there's no chance that you're going to get two updates a week. Now, every Sunday, you're going to get a Safe and Sound update. I guess that's good news, too, since you now know when you can expect updates.**

 **Anyway, my thanks goes out to katierosefun, StarwarsRulz, Lux's Sister, and CaylithTheGolden for their reviews. As always, the comments make me smile. :)**

 **Now, without further ado, I present Chapter 5 of Safe and Sound. Hope y'all enjoy! :)**

* * *

As Jim explained to Cadena all that Obi-Wan had told him and Kira, Kira wondered if Cadena really heard her husband's words. A faraway look resided in her dark eyes, and she barely reacted to the news. It sent chills down Kira's spine to watch Cadena lay so still. Cadena, who could never sit still.

When Cadena asked for her son, Kira was happy to hand him over to his mother ... until tears formed in her eyes when she whispered something in the baby's ear. Kira bit her lip as she watched Cadena cradle her son to her chest, murmuring to him. Every so often, the baby squealed in response. Once, he reached up and grabbed Cadena's nose.

A flicker of hope fluttered in Kira's chest when a faint sparkle appeared in Cadena's eyes.

* * *

Two days later, Cadena was allowed to emerge from her bed. Ahsoka immediately moved Cadena and Jim into a room together, but she threatened to put them back in separate rooms if they couldn't behave themselves. "I don't need you two keeping me up all night," Ahsoka told Cadena and Jim when she laid down the ground rules of their stay in her home. Despite her firm tone, the Togruta was grinning.

"Good to see you, too, 'Soka," Cadena replied before throwing her arms around Ahsoka, who reciprocated eagerly.

"It'll only be a temporary stay anyway," Jim said. "With any luck, I'll be able to start working within the next week." He squeezed Cadena's hand. "Then we can build a home of our own."

Kira, who was in the kitchen watching after the baby, wondered who she would be staying with when Jim and Cadena built their house. But she kept these wonderings to herself.

* * *

In Ahsoka's back yard, a small pond had been erected by a previous owner. Eventually Ahsoka allowed Kira to go outside and sit by the pond, as long as she didn't stay out too long. Kira didn't mind too much; at least she got to be outside at all.

Sometimes Kira brought a piece of bread on her brief excursions to the pond so she could feed the small fish that lived in the water. She would seat herself on the very edge of the pond, break up the bread into tiny pieces, and throw the pieces to the fish.

On one of these trips, Kira realized with a pang why she liked the pond so much.

It reminded her of the Room of a Thousand Fountains.

Kira silently picked up her leftover bread and went back inside. She'd finish feeding the fish later.

* * *

A week after Kira's arrival on Onderon, Cadena and Kira both sat on the edge of the pond. Kira had taken off her boots and rolled up her leggings so she could dip her feet in. The day was sunny, but neither girl's mood was. Ahsoka had returned from one of her trips to the city with news that the Republic had been reorganized into an Empire, with Palpatine (or Sidious, depending on who you asked) at the head of the new government.

"It's all going downhill from here," Ahsoka had told the rest of the house's occupants, shaking her head.

Now Kira glanced over at Cadena, who stared into the water. The older girl lifted her hand to her shoulder, then dropped it. Kira guessed that Cadena had been reaching for her Padawan braid, which no longer rested on her shoulder. Absentmindedly, Kira wondered what had happened to it. She'd seen the burn marks at the end of Cadena's bangs, so she knew it'd been cut. But she hadn't seen Cadena use her lightsaber to cut the braid.

"Do you really want to know?"

Kira looked up. "What?"

"Do you really want to know what happened to my braid?"

"Did I say that out loud?"

"Yeah."

Kira sighed. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine." Cadena was quiet for a moment. "I gave it to a youngling I knew well. Her name was Aamani."

Kira bit her lip. "Did she escape the slaughter?"

Cadena shook her head, and the two girls went quiet. Kira watched the fish swim about in the clear water and came close to snickering when a couple of fish ventured close to her feet and nibbled at her toes. However, when she looked up to see if Cadena noticed the fish, her laughter failed to escape her mouth. Cadena looked as if she were on the verge of tears.

Kira slid over and slung an arm around Cadena's shoulders. "What's bothering you?"

Cadena ducked her head. "Do you know why Aamani died? Do you know why all those younglings in the Temple died?"

Kira didn't answer, not knowing what Cadena was getting at.

Cadena didn't need an answer to continue. "Because the Force was strong with them." She pushed a handful of hair out of her face. "Because they had something special that not many have, something that's become a death sentence for anyone who has it or will have it in the future." A tear escaped Cadena's eye and slid down her cheek. "Before I was brought to the Temple, my parents exploited my gift. They didn't notify the Order or anything; they just used me for their own purposes. During that time, I wished I had never shown them what I could do." Another tear joined the first. "The Force became something I wanted to get away from, something I wished I didn't have. I don't want my son to have to grow up in a universe like that, one where he will be afraid to use his gift and wish that he never had it in the first place. But at the same time...Kira, I just want him to be safe. And right now, right here, it's not safe for any of us. Especially not him." She buried her head in her knees, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed.

Kira wrapped both arms around Cadena and gently rubbed her back, hoping to soothe her. When Cadena's sobs had reduced to quiet, tearful hiccups, Kira spoke. "Cadena, I will do everything in my power to keep your son safe," she promised earnestly. "This Empire won't touch him; I'll make sure of that."

"How?"

"I'll figure something out." Kira squeezed Cadena's shoulder. "Just like always."

 _Just what that something may be I have no idea._ This time, Kira didn't voice her thoughts out loud.

* * *

A few weeks later, the frenzy over the extermination of the Jedi Order and the reorganization of the Republic into the Empire began to die down. The wanted holo-images were taken down, and the atmosphere in the streets was calmer and less tense. At least that's what Ahsoka told Cadena and Kira.

"Does this mean we can go into town now?" Kira asked hopefully. "Staying inside all the time is driving me stir crazy! "

Ahsoka pressed her lips together in a straight line, looking from one girl to the other. "I suppose," she finally said.

Kira jumped up from her seat, eager to get her cloak so she could go out. A word from Ahsoka stopped her in her tracks. "Don't speak to anyone unless you absolutely have to," Ahsoka said. "If you do have to speak to someone and they ask your name, make up one. I don't care what it is, but make sure you remember it. And be back before it gets dark."

"Okay," Kira agreed hastily. She was growing impatient. "Can I go now?"

Ahsoka sighed. "Yes. Go on."

Kira started to head into the hall, then looked back. "Cadena, are you coming?"

Cadena shook her head. "I've got to stay. The baby might wake up any time now, and I need to be here when he does. Maybe next time."

"Okay." Kira left the room and darted into the hall. Grabbing her cloak from the hook where it was kept, she went back into the living area. "Maybe I'll stop by the garage and say hello to Jim."

Cadena perked up. "He'll like that, Kira."

Kira grinned. "Then I'll definitely make a point to stop by." She pushed the button to open the door. "I'll see you two later!"

"Be back before dark!" Ahsoka called again before Kira stepped outside and shut the door behind her.

* * *

A little while later, Kira took a break from browsing the marketplace of Iziz and headed to the speeder garage and repair shop where Jim had managed to get a job. Kira thought it was a good fit for the man, for he was good at fixing things.

Kira found Jim under a beige X-34 speeder. "Hey, Jim," she greeted him, crouching next to the speeder.

A clang against the metal underside of the speeder and a muttered curse suggested that Jim had banged his head. Kira winced as he crawled out from underneath the speeder. "Sorry," she said.

"No, it's fine." Jim dragged a wrench from under the speeder and sat up. "You just startled me is all. What can I do for you today, Miss Narro?"

"Shh." Kira glanced around the garage. No one had overheard - or was listening, for that matter. "I'm not supposed to tell anyone my name. Besides, I just thought I'd drop by to say hello."

Jim rubbed the top of his head where he had hit it. "In that case, hello to you, too. How's Cadena?"

"Good. She's home with the baby."

"Where she should be." Jim sighed. "I don't want her out and about too much."

Before Kira could ask Jim to elaborate, a flustered, bellowing Armalat entered the garage, his big arms waving. The human man sighed again, standing up. "Looks like I've got a customer." He flashed a quick grin at Kira. "It was a pleasure to see you, ma'am."

Kira smiled back and made a beeline for the exit, not wishing to be in the way when the Armalat arrived. Once outside, she headed towards the square in the middle of the city. There were a few stalls over that way that she hadn't looked at yet.

However, Kira forgot all about the stalls when the whine of a distant speeder bike reached her ears. She bit her lip when more whines joined the first and created a buzzing cacophony. When the first speeder whizzed into view, Kira hurriedly stepped back to stand in the crowd that was beginning to gather. Sentients murmured to themselves and to each other around her, wondering what all the fuss was about.

About a dozen bikes were parked in the square before their riders disembarked. Kira observed soldiers in pristine white armor similar to the armor the clones had worn and wondered with a pang what had happened to Trapper.

Something hit Kira from behind, and she fell to the ground. She turned to look at her attacker, hand already reaching for her lightsaber.

Instead of one of the soldiers in white armor, Kira found a young man standing behind her, holding out a hand to help her up. "I'm terribly sorry about that, miss," he said apologetically. "I wasn't looking where I was going."

Kira took the man's extended hand, and he pulled her to her feet. Unharmed, Kira dusted off her leggings. "Thanks," she said.

"People of Onderon!"

Kira turned to listen to the trooper who had spoken up. Quiet murmurings and idle chatter died. "This planet is now under the protection of the Galactic Empire. In return for the order and security the Empire will provide you with, there will be new rules and regulations for you to follow." The trooper glanced at a datapad he held in his hand. "There will be no speaking out against the Empire or Emperor Palpatine himself. Such talk will be dealt with as treason. There will be a security force of Imperial stormtroopers sent to each and every planet under the protection of the Empire to preserve peace and order..."

Kira covered her mouth with her hand as the stormtrooper continued to read. The man behind her shook his head. "I didn't think they'd send troopers here so quickly," he whispered. He held out a hand. "Lux Bonteri."

Kira warily shook Lux's hand. The name rang a bell in her mind. "Aren't you a member of the Galactic Senate?"

"The Imperial Senate now," Lux said, "and the Imperial Senate is nothing but a show for the people. Emperor Palpatine has control over everything."

A human man stepped forward from the crowd and interrupted the stormtrooper in the middle of his reading. "We do not recognize your authority here!" he cried out. "We are a world of the Galactic Republic, a system of freedom and democracy! We know not your Empire!"

Without so much as a second glance, the trooper unhooked his blaster from his belt and shot the man in the chest. The man fell to the cobblestones, smoke rising from the hole in his heart. The trooper looked around the crowd. "Does anyone else wish to test the strength and the authority of your new Empire?"

No one spoke, and no one stepped forward.

The entire spectacle was making Kira feel sick to her stomach. "I-I have to go," she told Lux before turning to disappear into the crowd. She had decided that she wanted to go home.

"Wait!" Lux grabbed Kira's shoulder before she could leave. "I didn't catch your name."

"I didn't give it."

"Well?"

Kira said the first name that popped into her head. "Eva. It's Eva Isis."

* * *

 **So. Did anyone else see the teaser for The Siege of Lothal? BRACE YOURSELF IF YOU HAVEN'T.**

 **Kira: I think you're overreacting. It was a thirty-second video!**

 **Me: You would understand if you saw it.**

 **Kira: Well, guess who wouldn't let me watch it!?**

 **Me: I have a good reason.**

 **Kira: You don't tell me anything. -_-**

 **Me: Again, I've got a good reason. Will it help if I let you pick a song?**

 **Kira: I guess.**

 **Tablet: Oh, won't you stay for awhile, I'll take you on a ride if you can keep our secrets...**

 **Me: And the review notice?**

 **Kira: Fine. Review if you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn. Thanks in advance. *pfft* Are we done yet?**

 **Me: Don't you "pfft" me! *pauses* But yes, we're done.**

 **Kira: Good. I'm gonna go take a nap.**

 **Me: *pfft* Well, thanks for clicking in, peoples, and may the Force be with you always! Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna try to get some writing done now that that goofy Padawan is out of my hair. See you next Sunday! :)**


	6. Just Close Your Eyes

**'ello, peoples of the earth!**

 **Perhaps I should quit announcing when I plan to post things; I seem to jinx myself when I make such announcements. Thanks go out to katierosefun, Lux's Sister, Zenkid100, StarwarsRulz, and CaylithTheGolden for their reviews and their patience. As always, they are much appreciated.**

 **Now, without further ado, I present Chapter 6 of Safe and Sound. Hope y'all enjoy! :)**

* * *

On the way home, Kira found herself glancing over her shoulder several times. Though she could not hear footsteps behind her, she still wished to make certain that a stormtrooper hadn't identified her and sent a squad after her.

Kira's heart didn't stop racing until she reached the door to the beige house. She fumbled in her cloak pocket for the entry card Ahsoka had given her and used it to open the door. When she stepped inside, she found Cadena nursing her son on the couch. Ahsoka was nowhere to be seen.

Cadena looked up when Kira entered. "You're back!" she said, eyes brightening. "I was sure you'd stay out longer."

"I would've." Not even bothering to remove her cloak, Kira plopped down on the couch beside Cadena. "But the Empire's sent a squad of their new soldiers. Stormtroopers, they called themselves."

Cadena bit her lip. "Is there someone they're looking for?"

Kira shook her head. "According to the lead trooper, they're here to 'preserve peace and order'. So far, they haven't done a good job."

"What do you mean?"

"The troopers killed a man who was brave enough to speak up."

Cadena didn't gasp. Instead, she sighed sadly. "I should've known they'd do something like that. Anakin and I used to come across would-be governments that would find and destroy any opposition just like-" She snapped her fingers. "-that. Typically we could shut them down before they did any real damage. I hope Ahsoka doesn't run into these stormtroopers."

"Where _is_ Ahsoka?" Kira unfastened her cloak and stood to go hang it up.

"She said she had to meet somebody. She also said he was going to be staying with us for a while, so we need to prepare the guest room."

Kira raised an eye marking. "Did she say who this someone is?"

"Nope."

"So like her. Springing a surprise guest on us with almost no warning." Kira joked, clicking her tongue. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go make up the guest bed." She turned on her heel and started to walk out of the room.

"Hey!" Cadena called. "I already did that!"

Kira snorted. "Yeah, right. Knowing you, Jim's going to end up making your bed every morning. Force knows how much you hate making beds."

Cadena opened her mouth to retort, then shut it. "Fair point."

Kira winked before she left the room.

* * *

When Jim returned home that evening, Ahsoka and her mystery guest still had not arrived. Kira was beginning to get worried. She bounced Cadena's baby on her knee while Cadena helped Jim cook dinner. From the sound of it, however, Cadena wasn't helping much at all. Instead, she seemed determined to keep Jim from getting anything done at all. Kira rolled her eyes as she listened to the two.

At last, lights in the street announced a speeder's approach. Kira watched as the speeder was parked and turned off. Two shadowy figures emerged; one was unmistakably a Togruta, and Kira was certain that the other figure was a human man.

"They're here!" Kira called. The bickering in the kitchen stopped, and Cadena appeared in the doorway to the living room just as the door opened to admit Ahsoka and the stranger.

As soon as the door closed behind her, Ahsoka threw back her hood. "Hello, you two. Where's Jim?"

"Making dinner," Cadena replied. "I'll go and get him." She darted back into the kitchen. After a brief scuffle ("Can't they just come in here?" "Jim, dinner isn't going to burn in two minutes. Come on."), Cadena led a reluctant Jim into the living room. "Alright, Ahsoka, who's our guest? Make it quick, cause I can't keep Jim here for long." Sure enough, Cadena had a firm hold on Jim's wrist.

"Of course." Ahsoka cleared her throat as the stranger removed his hood. "Everyone, meet Lux Bonteri. He's the senator of Onderon and a good friend of mine. And, as I told Cadena, he'll be staying with us for a while."

Kira raised an eye marking. "Senator Bonteri?"

Lux glanced in Kira's direction. "Eva?"

Ahsoka, too, raised an eye marking. "Eva? Kira, what is-oh." She shook her head. "Lux, I thought I told you to wait in the cantina. No wonder I couldn't find you."

"What? I was tired of watching the news on the Holonet."

Ahsoka ignored Lux's excuse. "So that's your alternate name, Kira?"

Jim stepped in. "I think we need to introduce ourselves to Lux before we confuse him further," he said. "Look at him. The man is exhausted."

Sure enough, Lux looked ready to collapse. Hurriedly Kira shifted the baby in her arm, stood up, led Lux to the sofa, and sat him down. Then she looked up at Ahsoka, who barely looked ruffled. "What in the universe were you two doing?" she demanded.

"That's confidential," Ahsoka replied. "Nothing you need to know about. Now why don't you go ahead and tell Lux your real name, please?"

Kira decided to let the matter go, but she promised herself that she would figure out what Ahsoka was doing sooner or later. "You're the one that told us to come up with an alternate name," she sighed. She turned to Lux and extended her hand. "I'm Kira. I'm terribly sorry to have confused you, but Ahsoka wanted us to have some different names so this new Empire couldn't track us as easily."

Lux tentatively shook Kira's hand. "Good to meet you."

"And you."

Cadena and Jim introduced themselves and their son (Lux was astounded when he learned that the baby had not yet been named). Once this was done, Jim left to go check on dinner.

Ahsoka removed her cloak. "Come on, Lux. I'll show you your room. I'm sure you must be _so very tired._ " Kira did not miss how Ahsoka's tone dripped with sarcasm during this last comment.

Lux either didn't notice or chose to ignore it. "That would be very nice, 'Soka. Thank you." With that, he stood and followed the Togruta into the hallway.

When the two were out of earshot, Kira asked Cadena, "What do you think of Lux?"

Cadena didn't hesitate. "I think he's a wimp."

"Oh, come now, Cadena, you've barely met the man."

Cadena turned to reach for her baby. "Kira, do you not remember the stories Ahsoka told us about him?"

Kira had to roll her eyes as she placed the baby in Cadena's arms. "Cadena, it's been _years_ since he got Ahsoka trapped on Carlacc. I'm sure he's changed since then."

Cadena shrugged. "Perhaps."

Kira raised an eye marking.

When Jim called them for dinner, Cadena was the first one in the kitchen. However, she picked at her plate and only took a few bites, despite her claims that dinner was the best Ranat's cheese soup she'd ever tasted.

Kira pressed her lips together as she studied her friend. Cadena was beginning to worry her.

* * *

It took exactly one week for Kira to grow tired of Lux. The young man followed Ahsoka _everywhere,_ and he didn't really do much to help out around the house. The one time Jim wasn't home and Lux was asked to make dinner, he accidentally set the stove on fire. Kira ended up making dinner in Jim's place that night.

To Lux's credit, though, he was trying.

At last, Cadena found something for Lux to do. Jim had been wanting to make a mobile for his son, but he hadn't been able to find time to build one between shifts at the garage. So Cadena pulled the supplies Jim had bought from a closet and began helping Lux build the mobile. Surprisingly, he was good at building things.

The mobile eventually became a family project. Kira began making dinner every night so Jim could help work on the mobile, and the next time she went into Iziz, she returned with several cans of paint. Jim sanded the pieces of wood that Lux cut, and Cadena decided that the men should make tiny replicas of Onderon, a lightsaber, and a starfighter to attach to the framework. Kira also suggested a replica of one of the birds that Atai had kept as pets, a suggestion which was well received by Jim. "It'll be easier than carving a starfighter," he said, smiling.

Painting the mobile was the fun part. One evening, Jim splattered some paint on Cadena's cheek by accident. The girl shrieked when the baby blue drop hit her cheek and shook her brush at Jim. When he looked up, a streak of red smeared the bridge of his nose. "That was a mistake," he said playfully, aiming his own brush.

Instantly, a paint war began.

Kira was able to ignore the flying paint until one streak hit her small bird, smearing the magenta paint she'd been using. "All right, you've gone too far," she said, flicking her brush at Cadena and putting Lux right in the middle of the paint war. He, too, joined in, seeing that with three sentients fighting with the paint, he would get nothing done.

When Ahsoka returned home, she found four sentients spraying paint all over each other - and all over her kitchen. The Togruta pressed a hand to her forehead, shaking her head, but she was grinning behind her hand. "You do know," she said, startling the three, "that you're cleaning this kitchen, right?"

"Of course, Ahsoka. And I'm afraid I just made more work for all of us," Lux said sheepishly. He picked up a now empty paint can from his lap with two fingers. Green paint smeared the front of his suit. "Forgive me, everyone."

Kira facepalmed. "Lux, you are so lucky I'm going into town tomorrow."

* * *

 _Obi-Wan accepted his lightsaber from Cody from his perch on a tame varactyl. "Thank you, Cody. Now let's get a move on; we've got a battle to win here!" he shouted cheerfully to the commander, who grinned back, as the varactyl galloped away._

 _The transmitter at Cody's waist beeped, and he held it in front of him and accepted the call. A hologram of Chancellor Palpatine, or Darth Sidious, appeared. "Commander Cody," he said. "The time has come. Execute Order 66."_

 _Cody hesitated before replying. "Yes, my lord."_

 _And the same commander who'd joked around with Kira and been a good friend to both her and Obi-Wan gave the order to one of the tank operators to blast Obi-Wan off the cliff. The operator did so without question, and Obi-Wan and his steed fell from the cliff into a pool of water below._

 _Obi-Wan didn't come back up._

"MASTER!" Kira screamed into the night, sitting up in her bed. It took a moment for her to remember that she was on Onderon, no clones surrounded her, and her Master was nowhere nearby. Instead, Obi-Wan was on Tatooine, a faraway planet known for its notorious crime lord, Jabba the Hutt.

Kira waited for her heart rate to return to a normal pace before she lay back down, her thoughts drifting far away from Onderon to the deserts of Tatooine, where she knew Obi-Wan was. She wondered what he was doing at the moment. _May the Force be with you, Master,_ she thought.

A noise from across the hall startled Kira from her thoughts. A loud cough came from Cadena and Jim's room. Kira frowned at the sound, knowing Cadena's cough when she heard it and also knowing that Cadena hadn't been coughing earlier.

Kira listened for a moment, but the coughing had stopped.

Kira pulled her blanket up from the foot of the bed where she'd kicked it and covered herself, snuggling into its warmth. Obi-Wan was fine, she reminded herself. She was fine, Ahsoka was fine, and Cadena was fine. She could still faintly feel Caleb's Force signature, so he, too, was fine.

So why was she so worried?

Kira shook off the thought and closed her eyes. The chirping of a night bird outside was the only sound she heard as she drifted off.

* * *

 **I had a little too much fun writing about the paint war. :P**

 **Kira: Can I** _ **please**_ **keep the blue streaks in my hair? They look cool!**

 **Cadena: And I like the pink highlights in my hair.**

 **Ahsoka: NO. Go clean them out before they stain your hair.**

 **Both: Aww. :(**

 **Me: Hey, I don't think you'd want to look like a human Ahsoka, Kira. And Cadena ... the pink doesn't do it for you.**

 **Cadena: Yeah it does. *sticks out tongue***

 **Me: For that, you can do the review notice.**

 **Cadena: NOPE! *runs off***

 **Kira: *pulls Cadena back* It's your turn! I've done it six times in a row!**

 **Ahsoka: Cadena, it's not going to kill you.**

 **Cadena: But I don't want to!**

 **Me: TOO BAD.**

 **Cadena: *gulps* Review if you ... *gag* ... liked it, hated it ... *cough* ... or wanted to light it up and watch ... *gulp* ... it ... burn ... *collapse***

 **Me: *rolls eyes* That was a terrible performance, Cadena.**

 **Cadena: *sits up* Hey, I'm just trying to make a point here.**

 **Me: *sigh* Well, peoples, thanks for clicking in and dealing with these goofballs. May the Force be with you always!**

 **Kira: Why didn't I think of that before?**

 **Me: DON'T YOU DARE, PADAWAN.**


	7. You'll Be All Right

**'ello, peoples of the earth! Remember me?**

 **I suppose I could go on a rant about how VBS and a youth camp completely messed up my writing schedule, but I'd prefer not to do that because that would remind me too much of my past self. I'm afraid she wasn't very professional at all.**

 **Before we begin, I'd like to thank katierosefun, StarwarsRulz, Lux's Sister, Zenkid100, and Solstix (formerly CaylithTheGolden) for their reviews and their patience. Y'all are fantastic, as usual.**

 **And now, at long last, I present Chapter 7 of Safe and Sound. Hope y'all enjoy! :)**

* * *

Weeks passed. More and more stormtroopers poured into Iziz to "preserve peace and order". Kira couldn't go into the city without seeing at least two troopers on every street corner. Every time she passed a group, she ducked her head, praying to the Force that they would not recognize her.

Trips into the city weren't as much fun anymore.

Still, Kira made these almost weekly trips and ran errands for her friends. She bought the ingredients Jim would need for dinner every so often, and she'd get diapers and baby mush for Cadena's baby when his forgetful mother neglected to pick up some.

On the way home, Kira would stop by the local cantina to watch the news. The bartender, a Zeltron woman named Tia, came to recognize Kira and even remembered her typical order: a small cup of muja juice to drink while she watched the Holonet.

So when Kira stopped by just in time to see the report about a captured Jedi Padawan by the name of Garen Chang, it was a comfort to have someone there to pound on her back when she choked on her muja juice. Luckily, Tia suspected nothing. "That poor kid," she said, shaking her head. "Can you believe what they've been saying about the Jedi lately? Said they tried to overthrow the Chancellor, and now those good sentients are being hunted like criminals. The bounty hunters will be after them, too; I hear any surviving Jedi has a hefty sum on his head..."

Kira let the woman chatter without any interruption. Her throat was dry as a desert.

"...I wish I knew if there was a Jedi hiding here on Onderon. Imagine the excitement! We could use some excitement around here."

Kira raised an eye marking at the woman who didn't believe an influx of stormtroopers was exciting.

Tia didn't notice. The door to the cantina hissed open. "Gotta get going; you know how business is," she dismissed herself. "See you around, Eva!"

"See you around," Kira mumbled back, wincing inwardly at the sound of her new name. She downed the rest of the muja juice and, tossing a few credits on the table, jumped down from her stool. Idly she wondered if she could get Tia to spike her muja juice next time.

Just as quickly as the thought crossed her mind, Kira shook it away, disappointed in herself for having such an idea.

Outside the cantina, Kira slipped past the stormtroopers on the corner and joined the sentients in the crowded street. She still had to pick up that medicine before she headed back to the house; Cadena's cough had turned into a fever a few days before.

The breeze suddenly picked up, and Kira looked up to see dark clouds on the horizon. Pulling her cloak tighter around her shoulders, she walked a little faster. She would prefer to get herself and the medicine to shelter before it began to rain.

* * *

It was pouring when Kira got back to the house. She was glad she'd brought her cloak, as she (and the medicine) would've been soaked otherwise.

Kira was surprised to find Lux in the kitchen, rifling around in the cabinets. "Hello, Lux," she greeted him, wincing when he jumped and banged his head on the bottom of the counter. Cursing quietly, he rubbed the back of his head as he turned to look at Kira, who looked away. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Lux stood up. "I didn't hear you come in."

"Well, with all that racket you were making, I'm astounded you could hear me at all!" Kira placed the medicine on the counter. "What are you doing anyway?"

"Jim contacted me and asked me to make dinner. He's going to be late tonight."

Kira frowned. "I told him I'd do it when I got home." Carefully stepping near the mess of pots and pans Lux had left on the floor, she began to gather them up and put them away. "I suppose he forgot."

Lux stood off to the side; Kira was grateful he wasn't getting in the way. "That would make sense. He's been preoccupied lately."

 _With thinking about Cadena,_ Kira mused. Out loud, she said, "How's our patient?"

"No change," Lux reported. "She tried to go out to that pond while you were gone. I thought I'd have to tie her to the bed to keep her still!"

Kira had to smile. "Then she must be getting better already," she said happily. "That sounds like the Cadena we know!"

Lux sighed. "I suppose. I would just prefer to not have to threaten to tie her down. Was there any news on the Holonet?"

"Yeah." Kira bit her lip.

"Bad news?"

"The capture of a Padawan."

Lux sighed and shook his head. "They're going to great lengths to find the fugitives."

"They'll have a list," Kira agreed. "They'll know who have fallen and who escaped. And they won't stop until they mark off every name."

"I'm sure things will quiet down soon enough." Lux paused. "I will have to return to Coruscant soon. I'm certain I will be able to contact Ahsoka and warn her if I hear anything."

"We'd all appreciate that." Kira retrieved a bag of jogans from the cabinet and handed it to Lux. "Can you start cutting one of these up for me? I'm going to go check on Cadena." Even Lux, she knew, could cut something with a knife.

"Of course."

"Thank you." With that, Kira left the kitchen.

* * *

Even before Cadena had gotten sick, she still liked to keep the lighting in her and Jim's room incredibly dim, so dim that Kira had to let her eyes adjust before she stepped inside. Now that Kira thought about it, however, Anakin had liked to keep his quarters dark, too. Perhaps it was just a habit.

Kira shook that thought away quickly, determined not to think about those times.

Inside, Kira made her way to Cadena's bedside, quietly so she wouldn't disturb Cadena if she was sleeping. The lump under the blanket didn't stir as Kira approached. Satisfied, she gently placed a hand on Cadena's forehead to check her temperature.

That was when Cadena's eyes flew open. "Your hand is cold," she rasped.

Kira had no doubt that her hand would've felt cold to Cadena. The older girl was burning up. "Sorry," Kira murmured, removing her hand. "Did I wake you?"

"Mm. Wasn't sleeping." Cadena reached for Kira's wrist. "Put your hand back. That felt nice."

"All right." Kira did so, but Cadena still kept her hold on Kira's wrist. "Are you thirsty? Do you want some water?"

Cadena shook her head.

"I got your medicine today. Do you want to take it now?"

Cadena shook her head again. "I don't wanna take that stuff. 'S nasty." She stuck out her tongue.

"You'll have to take it at some point today. It'll help you get better." Kira removed her hand from Cadena's forehead, despite a weak protest, and gripped her friend's hand.

"Don't treat me like a youngling, Kira. 'M fine."

"No, you're not. And you know it." Kira knelt beside the bed. "There's nothing I can do to help?"

Cadena thought about it for a moment. "You could sing that song you were humming the other day. It was pretty."

Kira frowned. "I wasn't humming."

"Yeah, you were. You were humming when you went to go fill my water glass."

Now Kira remembered. A few years before, she and Obi-Wan had been sent to take Master Ima-Gun Di's place protecting the Twi'leks on Ryloth. Several times, Obi-Wan had sent Kira to move the Twi'leks to safety while he held off Separatist advances. While she'd waited for him to catch up, she'd helped the mothers tend to the children. One woman had taught Kira a lullaby to sing the little Twi'leks to sleep. For some odd reason, she'd been humming it off and on lately. "It's Twi'leki," she told Cadena now. "You won't understand it."

"I don't care," Cadena replied. "Sing it for me? Please?"

Kira sighed and, squeezing Cadena's hand, began to sing. " _Do sanoe jilna reyalak jirut dei debis tenii do bee do cahsinark garei jid dan elan, tenii vahs ceu inmla tlahnian solsehan dei juh_..."

When Kira finished the lullaby, she found that Cadena had fallen asleep. Kira brushed a strand of hair behind Cadena's ear. "Sleep well," she whispered before she stood and left the room, leaving Cadena to rest.

* * *

Another storm blew in after dinner, and this one was more fierce than the last. Lightning flashed every few seconds, and claps of thunder scared the baby so badly that he cried himself to sleep. Jim decided to put his son to bed early in hopes that he would not wake up and begin wailing again.

Kira, too, opted to retire early. It was an odd feeling, getting to pick and choose when she wished to go to bed. She remembered a time when sleep was a luxury, and when she and the troops of the 212th had had to push themselves beyond their limits to complete whatever mission they had been given. She remembered literally collapsing to the ground at 0400 on some mornings and one instance where she and Obi-Wan had had to go without sleep for four entire nights.

There was a reason she'd taken naps while on the star destroyers.

Kira shifted under her blanket, covering her head when another clap of thunder shook the house. She'd never liked storms. When she was younger, she had been afraid of them. She'd run to her mother and hidden her face in Dia's skirt whenever the storms frightened her. Dia had stopped whatever chore she was performing to comfort her terrified daughter with a story of some sort, perhaps a Togrutan legend passed down from her own mother.

Kira had always liked those the best.

The teenager sighed. She was thinking too much. _As usual, Caleb would say,_ she thought bitterly as she rolled onto her side. A cough came from across the hall, and Kira was tempted to get up and check on Cadena. _Jim's with her. She's fine,_ she reminded herself. It was true. Ahsoka had offered to stay with Cadena through the night, but Jim had refused, saying he'd watch over her.

"You've stayed up with her three nights in a row." Ahsoka had tried to dissuade Jim. "Let me take a turn."

"I'll be fine," Jim had replied. "She's getting better already." He'd glanced at Kira, who'd been feeding the baby tiny pieces of leftover jogan. "Don't you ask, Kira."

"I wasn't going to!"

It'd been a half truth. Her plan had been to wait until Jim was distracted, duck into Cadena's room, and not move until Jim agreed to go to bed. But of course, Jim had decided not to eat dinner in favor of staying with Cadena, so Kira's plan would've failed anyway.

Kira shook her head and closed her eyes. Honestly, she needed to sleep.

But closing her eyes didn't help. Briefly settling into meditation didn't help, either. Not even that age old trick of counting surepp did any good.

Sighing, Kira rolled onto her other side, settling in for what she was beginning to think would be a long, sleepless night.

* * *

 **And I remember that fight, 2:30 a.m., when everything was slipping right out of our hands-**

 **Kira: I thought we didn't pick the song until the end!**

 **Me: *stops singing* Sorry. I guess I just wanted to mix things up a little.**

 **Cadena: So ... it's begun, hasn't it?**

 **Me: *nods solemnly* It has, my friend. I'm sorry.**

 **Kira: Wait, what? What's begun?**

 **Cadena: Enh. It's not your fault, it's Caroline's. Although I don't think she gave me a fever...**

 **Kira: ?**

 **Me: Creative license. Alright, Kira, if you would ask our kind readers to review?**

 **Kira: Nope. I want an explanation.**

 **Me: Nope.**

 **Kira: Nope.**

 **Me: Nope.**

 **Kira: Okay, this is getting weird. Review if you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn. Thanks for reading.**

 **Cadena: And the first to guess what the Twi'leki song lyric gets an Internet cookie! Caroline doesn't count.**

 **Me: Yeah, sorry, Caroline. Well, thanks for clicking in, peoples, and may the Force be with you always! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go make a Tumblr blog. Ta-ta!**

 **Cadena: Oh, kriff. Who gave her permission to use Tumblr?**

 **Kira: This isn't good!**


	8. The Sun Is Going Down

**'ello, peoples of the earth!**

 **Well, I decided to update a little early this week because I know y'all are probably going to hate me when you finish reading. And I just want to make one thing clear before we begin. *points at Caroline* IT'S HER FAULT!**

 **I would like to thank katierosefun, Lux's Sister, DarthTopaz (formerly Zenkid100), StarwarsRulz, and Solstix for their reviews. As always, they make me smile, so thank you. :)**

 **Now, without further ado, I present Chapter 8 of Safe and Sound. Hope y'all enjoy! :)**

* * *

It was hard for Kira or Ahsoka to get Jim to come away from Cadena's bedside to eat or sleep. Jim was ever so worried about his wife, and with good reason. The previous time Kira had entered Cadena's room, she'd found Cadena white as a sheet, her forehead beaded with sweat and her hands cold and clammy.

Cadena wasn't getting better.

"I think we should take Cadena to a healer," Kira told Ahsoka one day. "I don't know what else to do for her."

Ahsoka bit her lip. Kira had never seen her friend look so worried. "We can't," she murmured, suddenly finding the floor interesting to look at.

"What?" Kira's eyes went wide as she leaned forward. "Whyever not? Ahsoka, have you even looked at her? She's _dying._ Let that sink in. She's eighteen and she's _dying."_

"Do you think I don't realize that!?" Ahsoka snapped, standing up. Kira flinched, a twinge of fear creeping into her chest.

Ahsoka _never_ raised her voice. She could be loud, yes, but she never yelled at anyone. It dawned on Kira that Ahsoka was afraid for Anakin the same way Kira had been afraid for Obi-Wan before she found out he was all right. Add that to Cadena's sickness and whatever Ahsoka was doing during the day (which was causing her to come back with a headache much more often than Kira would like), and all that stress would worry anyone.

Kira hated all the secrets being kept in this house.

Jim walked through the front door at that moment. "I have good news, you two," he said, sporting a smile. Not a full-blown grin, but it was something.

"And what is that, Jim?" Ahsoka asked, as curious as Kira to hear what had put the man in a good mood.

"The house is done."

That _was_ good news. Perhaps Cadena would be so happy that her and Jim's house was done that the news would cheer her up and help her recover. Ahsoka smiled. "Good. Do you want to tell Cadena?"

"Is she awake?"

"When I went to check on her, she was," Kira put in.

"Then yes, I would." With that, Jim left the room.

Ahsoka started to follow, but Kira grabbed the Togruta's arm to stop her. "Ahsoka," she whispered. "We need to get Cadena a healer."

Ahsoka squared her jaw. "Kira, healers and medbays keep records of their patients. What's going to happen when we bring in a patient that not only has no surname, but also matches a name on a list of Jedi that haven't fallen? If we take her to the medbay, we're inviting trouble. Even if she gives an alias, the Empire will see that she matches the wanted holo when they look through the security cams. And they _will_ be looking."

"We can't just let her die." Kira released Ahsoka's arm and stepped back. "And I don't have a better idea."

Ahsoka looked down. "I don't think there's anything anyone can do," she said quietly. "Fevers don't typically last this long. I think - I think she's lost her will to fight it."

"You think she's lost the will to _live_?" Horrified at the prospect, Kira sat back down. The thought of strong-willed, feisty, reckless Cadena losing the will to live was too much for her to grasp all at once. "I can't believe that. She's got Jim and her son - surely she'd fight for them if not for herself!"

Ahsoka was silent for a moment before she answered. "At this point, Kira, there's no telling what may happen. All we can do now is give her the meds, keep her comfortable, and wait."

"And get her a healer."

Ahsoka's eyes flashed. "For the good of all of us, we will not get her a healer. It's a safety measure we have to take."

"Ahsoka, it's not a safety measure if it gets her _killed_!"

"WE'RE NOT DOING IT!"

The outburst shocked Kira into silence. She stared as Ahsoka clenched her hands into fists at her sides. "Now," the Togruta said through gritted teeth, "if you'll excuse me." Turning on her heel, Ahsoka stormed out of the room.

Defeated, Kira sank onto the couch, lowering her head into her hands.

 _Cadena won't die,_ Kira tried to convince herself. _She'll be back to her old self very soon._

The warning in the Force proclaimed otherwise. Kira did her best to avoid thinking about the alternate outcome.

* * *

The stormy Onderon summer gave way to a cool, breezy fall, and still Cadena did not heal. After they'd moved her into the new house, she'd taken a turn for the better, but hope only lasted for a week before any progress she'd made reversed. As the heat faded from the planet, so did Cadena fade.

One morning, Kira sat by Cadena's bedside, listening to her raspy breathing. Every so often, she violently shuddered and shifted under the blanket, attempting to get warm. Kira wasn't sure how Cadena was so cold when her forehead was blazing, but she didn't say a thing. Instead, she draped another blanket over her friend and hoped that would help keep Cadena comfortable.

Cadena's eyes fluttered open, but it was her cough that drew Kira's attention. Hurriedly, she picked up the water glass on the nightstand and waited for Cadena to finish. Then she gently propped Cadena's head up and held the glass to her lips. Cadena drank greedily from the glass; Kira would have to refill it again.

Kira adjusted Cadena's pillow before laying her friend back down. Then she reached for the water glass to go refill it, but Cadena grabbed her hand before she could leave. "Where's Obi-Wan?"

Kira stopped. "Excuse me?"

"Obi-Wan." Cadena coughed weakly. "I wanna see him. Isn't he back yet?"

Kira had to sit back down. "Back from where, Cadena?"

Cadena waved her hand. "One of those Hutt planets, Jim told me." Her words slurred together, just as a drunk man's would. "Mal Shutta? Tattine?"

"You're not making any sense." Kira suspected that Cadena was suffering from delirium.

"I still wanna see him."

 _So do I._ "Extended mission, Cadena. He won't be back for a while."

Cadena pursed her lips into a pout. "But I want to see him."

Kira stood up. "Let me go refill this, okay?"

Dropping the subject for now, Cadena rolled onto her side grumpily. "Fine," she drawled.

Kira left that room as fast as she could.

* * *

It was a few days later when one last summer storm formed over Iziz. The breeze chilled Kira a little as she stood outside, watching the gray clouds gather over her head. Shivering, she pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders. (Ahsoka had insisted she stop wearing her cloak. If she wanted to stay warm, a shawl would be fine. A cloak called too much attention.)

Jim appeared on the doorstep beside Kira. "Can you run and get some more medicine? I think Ahsoka accidentally threw it out."

"You think she _what?_ You know what, never mind. I'll go get some more." Kira's hand went to her waist to be sure her pouch was still safely tucked inside her sash. "Next time, leave the bottle in the cabinet, _where it's supposed to be._ "

Jim threw up his hands as Kira stepped off the doorstep and headed toward the main road. "It wasn't my fault!"

Kira ignored Jim and broke into a run. The drugstore was on the other side of the main square, and she didn't believe the storm would hold off for long. _Why couldn't he have told me earlier?_

She knew the answer perfectly well: he hadn't been paying attention.

Another gust of wind tickled the back of Kira's neck and ripped a few strands of hair from her braid as she ran. Only a few other sentients were in the streets this evening, and they, too, hurried to complete whatever task they'd set out to do before the storm hit. Kira almost crashed into one or two of them.

At last, after a good run, Kira approached the drugstore. Only a few more steps and she would be inside the door; perhaps she could wait out the storm if it got too bad. The worst storms blew over fast.

As Kira reached for the control panel to open the door, something inside her snapped. A familiar presence, gone. In its stead resided an empty hole. Her head jerked up; her hand dropped back down to her side. The medicine was forgotten, and Kira turned to sprint back the way she'd come, hoping and praying her senses were off. That the Force bond she shared with Cadena hadn't just snapped.

That Cadena wasn't dead.

Kira had a stitch in her side when she arrived back on the doorstep of the beige house, but that didn't matter. She jammed her finger when she slid her keycard into the slot, but that pain paled in comparison to the ebbing waves of sadness and hurt she felt in the Force. She didn't bother taking off her boots, instead heading straight to Cadena's room.

Someone had turned on the small lamp beside Cadena's bed, as the skies had darkened considerably. The lamp cast just enough light onto Cadena's face for Kira to see that her senses had _not_ been off and that her fears had been realized.

Cadena was dead. Joined the Force, Obi-Wan would've said.

Kira felt as if her feet were frozen to the floor as she took in the scene. Cadena, her eyes closed in an eternal slumber and a peace that had settled over her features. Jim, his head buried in his wife's chest and his hands squeezing her cold ones as if he would drop dead if he released them. Quiet sobs wracked his body.

Kira almost didn't feel another familiar presence approach her from behind, so shocked and grieved was she at the sight in front of her. And when her mind, fuzzy with hurt, registered the hand on her shoulder, she was silent for a moment to force down the urge to berate, scream at, or cry into the shoulder of the man behind her. When she got past all that, she settled for a simple, quiet greeting. "Master."

"Kira."

The girl had to close her eyes, stop the tears from falling, and swallow the lump in her throat before she turned to face Obi-Wan. "Are you staying?"

Obi-Wan shook his head.

Kira bit her lip and glanced back at Jim and Cadena, still disbelieving. Obi-Wan released her shoulder and gently prodded her forward. "Go."

Like always, Kira obeyed her Master. Moving forward to kneel beside Jim, she noticed that he'd released Cadena's hand. She picked up the slender hand and held it to her cheek, wishing she could pour life and warmth from her own body into Cadena's stiff hand. A rebellious tear slipped from her eye and splashed onto Cadena's fingers.

A rustle of cloth let Kira know that Jim had risen, but she did not look up. Almost unconsciously, she started to sing the lullaby Cadena had liked so much. " _Huhsi nalnan dei inu'a, ji rol ohk xaekkalo. Dan cahsinark ohk vahs banhsli, gareu toyid si'user dan guo._ "

It was true. Nothing could hurt Cadena now.

And though Kira knew that fact, she didn't take comfort in it. She wanted Cadena back.

They all did.

* * *

 **I think Kira's ticked off at me. Again.**

 **Kira: ...**

 **Me: See?**

 **Cadena: Hey, I'll still be around. Just not in these stories.**

 **Ahsoka: Apparently Amy's gonna throw these two into some modern-day shenanigans. Not sure what that's all about...**

 **Me: Okay! Who wants to pick the song?**

 **Kira: ...**

 **Me: Uh ... Kira's not dead, too, is she? *pokes Kira***

 **Kira: *hiss***

 **Me: *jumps back* Okay! Point taken!**

 **Cadena: I'll pick one. Since I DIED.**

 **Me: That works.**

 **Tablet: Do it all again when I loved you so, back before you lost the one real thing you'd ever known...**

 **Me: Ahsoka? Review notice, please?**

 **Ahsoka: *sigh* Fine. Review if you liked it, hated it, or wanted to light it up and watch it burn. Thanks in advance.**

 **Me: Thanks, 'Soka. I think that concludes our business today, so thanks for clicking in, everybody, and may the Force be with you always! And now I'm certainly not going to make some popcorn to eat while I watch your reactions. No, I would NEVER.**

 **Cadena: Code for: she's totally gonna make popcorn to eat while she watches your reactions.**

 **Me: Quiet, you. You're supposed to be dead.**


	9. You and I'll Be Safe and Sound

**'ello, peoples of the earth!**

 **At long last, we have made it to the end of this book. I must apologize for the tears and pain I have caused you, but I must also remind you that if Caroline hadn't killed Cadena, we wouldn't have to deal with this mess. So there.**

 **I would like to thank katierosefun, Solstix, Lux's Sister, DarthTopaz, and StarwarsRulz for reviewing. And now, I present the ninth and final chapter of Safe and Sound. Hope y'all enjoy. :)**

* * *

They buried Cadena under the trees near the lake she'd liked so much. The rain from the night before had softened the earth and made it fairly easy for Jim and Obi-Wan to dig her grave.

Kira looked over at the box a little ways from Obi-Wan's foot and clutched the baby close to her chest. Jim had told Kira the previous night that the little boy had been christened Anakin just before his mother died.

Kira had reeled. "Why?"

Jim had only smiled sadly. "She believed that he will be a great Jedi, like her Master was," he'd explained. "She looked up to him."

Now Kira looked down at baby Anakin. She could already see traces of Cadena's face in his, and although he had Jim's bright blue eyes, she was certain he would share his mother's chocolate hair. He was going on eight months now; he'd soon be taking his first steps.

And Cadena wouldn't be around to watch.

Fresh tears gathered behind Kira's eyes as she looked up at Ahsoka, who stood beside her, watching Jim and Obi-Wan dig the grave. The Togruta had crossed her arms over her chest, and her mouth was set in a grim, determined line.

Determined to do what, Kira did not know and didn't really care at the moment.

Lux stood on the other side of Ahsoka, hands clasped in front of him as he stared blankly into space. Perhaps it was only the light playing tricks on Kira's eyes, but she was certain she detected traces of sadness in his features.

Kira adjusted the blanket that was wrapped around Anakin and looked back up to see the freshly dug hole. She watched Obi-Wan and Jim put down their shovels and head over to pick up the box. Kira had to close her eyes to keep the tears at bay as together they lowered Cadena into the ground. Anakin squealed loudly, prompting Jim to look up. His gaze met Kira's, and she swallowed the lump in her throat.

The men did not take long to finish replacing the dirt they'd removed just a few minutes prior. Jim knelt, gently smoothed the dirt over Cadena's grave, and placed a bouquet of statice blossoms on the fresh mound. "Things aren't the same, Cadena," he began quietly. "And I don't think they'll ever be the same again. Anakin will grow up in a different galaxy - one that I believe will be more difficult than the one you and I were raised in. It seems like yesterday we were sneaking around Hondo's base on Florrum."

Kira had to smile a little and wonder if Cadena had compromised the escape. She never had been great at being quiet.

Jim touched the dirt in front of him. "I look forward to telling Anakin that story, though I wish you were here to help me tell it. Don't you worry about our son; he's in good hands. I miss you." His voice cracked. "Like you Jedi say: May the Force be with you." When he stood and turned to join the others, Kira saw the tears streaming down his face.

Ahsoka was next to approach the grave. She spoke only two words in her native Togruti language before standing back up and rejoining the small group. Kira, who also knew Togruti, bit her lip to keep from crying out. She knew the conversation she and Ahsoka had had was replaying in both their heads.

 _"She's eighteen and she's_ dying. _"_

 _"Do you think I don't realize that!?"_

Realizing it was her turn, Kira handed Anakin to Jim and walked forward to kneel by Cadena's grave. The wet dirt was squishy and cool beneath her knees, and the moisture soaked through her pants and sent a chill up her spine. It didn't help when the wind picked up and caused Kira to shudder.

She found the chill strangely appropriate for the occasion.

What was she supposed to say? So many memories were flashing across her mind's eye. Just after she and Cadena had first met, when they were running through underground tunnels on Belsus with their clanmates in an effort to escape Grievous. Sparring sessions in the training halls at the Temple (and that one time when Cadena slipped and fell on the newly waxed floor). Cadena dragging Kira into helping the former prank Anakin - and always having to make a break away from the prank site. The time they were stranded in an escape pod with Captain Rex and Jesse of the 501st. Meeting Jim for the first time (it'd taken a while for Kira to accept that Cadena had broken the Code so severely). Hugs after missions on which only one of them went.

"I don't know where to begin," Kira found herself murmuring. "I suppose I could say that you were and always will be my best friend - that won't ever change. We made a lot of memories together, you and I; some good, some bad, but as long as you were there, I was certain we'd pull through. You always had this air about you, like you knew exactly what you were doing. I wish you were here now, because it would be much easier to have hope for the future and what this Empire will bring." Kira brushed a rebellious tear from her face. "But I will try to have hope anyway. That's what you would want. You were always hopeful that things would turn out all right." Standing, Kira stood by the grave for another few seconds. "Until we meet again, Cadena. May the Force be with you."

Obi-Wan and Lux both opted not to say anything. Kira suspected that Cadena's death had shaken Obi-Wan more than he was letting on, and Lux hadn't really known Cadena well.

Still, as the group headed inside, Kira could sense the grief that clouded all their hearts.

She hated it.

Thunder rumbled in the distance as Kira closed the door behind her, bringing a sense of foreboding with it. Little did she know that the next morning, far away on distant Coruscant, the Emperor would receive the last of whatever power the Senate still held, making him the sole ruler of the galaxy.

Little did she know that the next morning, the last remains of the Republic would crumble.

And the new order of the Empire would rise.

* * *

 **A rather morbid ending, I think. Oh well.**

 **Kira: ...**

 **Me: Is she still sore?**

 **Cadena: Yeah.**

 **Me: Then I will take this opportunity to tell my readers two things. Number one: I have a Tumblr now! Actually, I have two, but I'll tell you about the Star Wars one for now. Friends, you can follow me on Tumblr at the-music-keeper for photo edits, theories, flash fics, GIFs, and songs and quotes of the day. Basically, anything Star Wars with a touch of music thrown in there. After all, I am the music keeper. ;)**

 **Cadena: You should put that on a T-shirt.**

 **Me: Yeah, I should. Anyway, the other thing is that the next book may be a long time in coming. If y'all haven't noticed, Someone Worthwhile hasn't been updated because I've been trying to finish up this story. Also, I have a few other things I need to write - a couple Kira drabbles (modern-day and SW universe) and a Star Wars Rebels AU storywander-tblog on Tumblr asked me to write. Yeah. I'm hoping to get the next story out by the time school starts, though, so be on the lookout!**

 **Cadena: I need attention, too, you know!**

 **Me: Spoken like a true Leo. (Caroline gets it. ;)) Kira, want to pick a song?**

 **Kira: ...**

 **Me: You can't sulk forever.**

 **Kira: ...**

 **Me: *sigh* Teenagers. Cadena, do the review notice.**

 **Cadena: Why me? I'm DEAD.**

 **Me: Good Lord, woman, just do it!**

 **Cadena: Reviewifyoulikedithateditorwantedtolightitupandwatchitburn. There.**

 **Me: I think that's the best I'm gonna get. Alright, you guys, thanks for clicking in! May the Force be with you always, and may the Force bring us back together soon! See ya later! :) *waves***


End file.
